Seemed to have hit a plateau and need some tips on how to bust it. Lost 50lbs and have not lost much of anything in two weeks. What have you guys done to get through a plateau?

Hi Farr,
I lost 30 lbs over a 3 month period. As I approached the 30lbs goal it was getting harder and harder... a plateau. My Dr. explained the phenomenon this way: Imagine you are stretching a rubber band from point A (your starting point) to Point B (your goal). As you approach point B it gets harder and harder to stretch the rubber band resulting in a slowing of the weight loss process.

His recommendation is that once you reach a goal (in his opinion no more that 50 lbs in a stretch) increase your calories to your new "maintenence" load for 2 or 3 weeks while your body adjusts to your new size and shape. This allows point A to slide closer to your current weight so that when you start dieting again the rubber band will have a lot more stretch left.

I still have about 10 more pounds to lose. But at the moment I am just trying to find that maintenece calorie load - it is a little harder than I thought. I'll shoot for those last 10 in a few more weeks. I'll let you know if my Dr's theory pans out.

I've been cutting weight and fat since January. I've lost 50 lbs so far but have not lost a pound since June 10th. I cut my calories by 500 from my bmr and that, combined with aerobics and weight workouts helped me lose the 50 lbs. I know that I'm not adding much in the way of muscle weight because I'm 54 with low T. I also don't eat any carbs after 3 pm and my % breakdown is generally 40% P. 40% C and 20% fat. Most days however the fat is lower. I eat as cleanly as possible. My body fat is 22-24% depending on my measurement. I'd like to get it to 12% or better. I'm really at a loss here! HELP!!!

You might want to check with your doctor about medication options for the low-T, I know a couple of guys that take meds for it and wouldn't have it any other way. But it's a personal decision. You also might consider a cardio workout like running, biking and/or swimming a couple times/week. Sometimes your body just gets comfortable at a certain weight and you have to give it a kick in a new direction and shake things up a bit. When I need to break through a plateau I try and push the proteins as high as possible for 2-3 days, sometimes that kicks it back into gear. Another thing that helps is to up your water intake, baseline of 64 ounces of water per day, plus another 8 ounces for every 10 pounds you want to lose. And if you've hit a plateau throw on another 24 ounces just for good measure.

Last edited by VitoVino; 02-13-2012 at 04:41 PM.
Reason: added quote, title

In January I started my weight loss, weighing in at my highest ever, 263lbs. (Keep in mind, I am 26 year old female and I am about 5'5.)

I was going GREAT! Averaging about 2.1 lbs loss per week, I lost 50 lbs from January 1st to June 11th. Once I hit 50 lbs it was like I hit a brick wall...I have lost VERY little in the last 5 weeks. HELP!!!

I figured out, according to my food logging, my carbs were out of control between 130g - 160g per day, so I have been cutting that down drastically, but having a hard time reaching 1200 calories a day that way, also my fat intake which was about 20gs avg has significantly raised trying to cut my carbs.

Please help me, I need advice! I still have another 50 lbs to loose!

Yes, your problem may be too few calories.

Your BMR is about 1800 or so.

I would say if you ate 1500 per day and burned 200 or so you should lose some weight.

Now, if you've been eating 1200 calories and also exercising, no wonder why you've slowed down.

Given your exercise routine I would probably try eating 1500-1600 on workout days and 1300-1400 on off days.

Over time your metabolism will slow when on are have a low net calorie level. If you were not exercising 1200 might be fine.

Last edited by VitoVino; 02-08-2012 at 12:23 AM.
Reason: added quote, title

In January I started my weight loss, weighing in at my highest ever, 263lbs. (Keep in mind, I am 26 year old female and I am about 5'5.)

I was going GREAT! Averaging about 2.1 lbs loss per week, I lost 50 lbs from January 1st to June 11th. Once I hit 50 lbs it was like I hit a brick wall...I have lost VERY little in the last 5 weeks. HELP!!!

I figured out, according to my food logging, my carbs were out of control between 130g - 160g per day, so I have been cutting that down drastically, but having a hard time reaching 1200 calories a day that way, also my fat intake which was about 20gs avg has significantly raised trying to cut my carbs.

Please help me, I need advice! I still have another 50 lbs to loose!

You might want to start increasing your caloric intake. Fat serves as an emergency fuel source, so an initial drop in calories would force the body to use it's own reserves (fat) as fuel for all your bodily functions. However, now that you're lighter and can move around more, plus the fact that you've started training, means that you need to eat more to feed those great, very-active furnaces called muscles.

I agree that reducing carbs overall is the way to go, but if you add them back in small quantities right after you work out you can maximize your muscle recovery rate (and minimize next day soreness).

Another reason weight loss might have seemed to stall is if you really are building a little muscle underneath that fat. Muscle, volume-by-volume, is about twice as heavy as fat, so just a bit of firmness can negate the weight loss caused by an inch or two down around the waist. Going by how you feel in the morning or how your clothes fit is just as important a measure of progress as the number on the scale.

Last edited by VitoVino; 02-08-2012 at 07:23 PM.
Reason: added quote, title

Today starts week three of my diet. The first week I lost 3.5lb on a 1300 cal diet, but the second week I did not budge. Actually, I had posted before that the scale was creeping up a touch, maybe from water retention. Now today I am right back to where I left off the end of the first week at 152.2lb (started at 155.8lb). Is it possible to plateau so soon? Is my body freaking out because of the new diet?

Could be that your body's just adjusting. Try to pay more attention to how you feel than what the scale says. You know that you're doing what's best for you, so don't give up! The scale will eventually move. Promise.

A few things to think about/try...
- Have you been drinking 8-10 8oz glasses of water every day?
- Are you eating foods that are high in sodium?
- Are you getting enough protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs?
- Could the time of the month be to blame?
- Are you exercising enough?

Some people believe to the "starvation mode", some other don't (I don't, as I've experienced it on myself). The major concern about eating <1200 cal is not getting enough vitamins and minerals but if you take a multivitamin supplement this is not a concern.

But I'm sure you'll lose no matter what, just a matter of being persistent and keep the motivation high! Good luck to you in your journey =)

When your body goes into starvation mode is dependent on many factors including genetics. Some posters here on FitDay have stated that they have to eat 1000 calories or less to lose weight. (I believe the person I remember is female and 5' or less.) She got blasted by the one size fits all proponents that said she was starving herself. The truth is that the old rule that you cannot eat less than 1200 calories or you will go into starvation mode doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. (I personally believe caloric deficit, not just caloric intake, is the primary factor in triggering the bodies preservation mode.)

That said, you need to find what works for you.

Some suggestions:

Try to space your meals so you're not eating the majority of your calories in a short period and creating a calorie surplus that your body has to store.

Limit or eliminate simple carbohydrates like processed foods, white bread and sugar that are quickly metabolized and thus have a high probability that they will be stored as fat rather than converted to energy.

Incorporate some additional activity, even if it is only walking, into your day. The exercise helps to increase your metabolism and relieves stress that can hinder weight loss.

I lost 21 pounds on Atkins induction phase. I stalled for about 5 weeks. I got super frustrated and started to do some research. I weight train and run 5 days a week. I am on induction, strict. What should i do?

I tried a carb blow-out, nope! I quit coffee, nope! I limited cheese and cream cheese, nope! I increased my cardio time, nope! I did the meat and egg fast, yuck!, nope!

CALORIE COUNTING, REDUCED CARBS & STARTED DRINKING MORE WATER. I lost 4 pounds in 6 days!!!!

Everyone is different. Everyone is different. I am borderline diabetic, so I have to watch. I use FitDay and calculate calories and carbs. I stay under 1300 cals and no more than 11 carbs a day. Swoosh- 144 down to 140. I started drinking 3 full glasses of water a day, that's all.

I eat whatever I want and drink coffee with heavy cream. sometimes 2 cups a day. The first 3 days were HARD. I felt a little weak, but day 4 and today I feel much better. This is not easy, but everytime I want to have a little something sweet, I think about my blood sugar spiking and my kids needing me. I started drinking hot tea at night, it does help.

Hope this helps someone out there. Do a general calorie count and drink a little more water. YOU CAN DO IT, WE CAN DO IT!!
Moderator's Note: 3 glasses of water a day is still not nearly enough!

I guess I thought that since I was drinking sooo much more water than I used to that it was good enough. I am going to take your advice and see if I can get over the 64oz hurdle (hopefully I can do it and still have time outside of the bathroom). I have been eating a lot of turkey and chicken roll up for lunch and sometimes dinner.

You mentioned chicken and turkey roll ups for lunch. Are you using cold cuts or the "real" stuff? Cause cold cuts have a lot of sodium. I have noticed on myself that sometimes excessive sodium can stall weight loss.

I, too, have been plateauing for the past month. I've only lost a pound - which is very frustrating. I was weighing daily. But, that started making me crazy. So, I'm resisting the urge to do that and am committed to only weighing once a week now.

I think I've figured out some things about why I was plateauing. I think I wasn't eating enough. I had been eating about 1,100 calories (sometimes less) and for a few days I woke up light headed. Not good. So, I upped my calories to about 1,400 for a day or two and that's when I dropped the one pound (last week). It's weird to wrap my brain around the concept of eating more food to lose weight. But, it worked for me. I'm doing some calorie zig zagging now (different calorie intakes different days of the week) and I hope I continue to lose doing it this way. They say it keeps your body guessing, so you don't go into hibernation/starvation mode.

Best of luck to you in getting through the plateau. You'll do it. You sound very motivated about making the changes in your life. That's what it's all about.

Tavisha

__________________STATSJuly 2010: 216 lbs., sz 24December 17, 2010: 180 lbs., sz 14Total Weight Loss: 36 lbs.GOALS:1st Goal: Get out of the "obese" category on the BMI chart. Goal met. Yay!2nd Goal: 154 lbs. - Get out of the "overweight" category on the BMI chart. Target date is March 5, 2011.Final Goal: 130 lbs - fit into a size 6 "goal dress" I bought. It's an amazing White House Black Market silk dress that I stare at every day to remind me where I'm going.